Antec Solo II Case Review

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Antec Solo II Case Review by VR-Zone.com

Most computer enthusiasts would remember the Antec Solo case; a product released nearly 7 years ago which featured a very subtle, Spartan appearance combined with almost every noise suppression system available at the time. The first version of the Solo was not very fancy but it certainly was a very effective case, which is why it took Antec over 6 years to replace the design. Today we are going to have a look at the successor of the original Solo, the Solo II, which also emphasizes on quiet computing. Let us see if it is a worthy replacement of the much renowned case it supersedes.

Manufacturer features and specifications

• Dual-layer 1.0 mm SECC / polycarbonate top & side panels
• Elegant aesthetics:
• Anodized aluminum front bezel
• Piano black exterior finish
• Stylish matte black interior
• Dual hard drive mounting system :
• 3 x 3.5" / 2.5" using tray mounts with preinstalled silicone grommets OR
• 2 x 3.5" with suspension mount cables
• 2 x external 5.25"
• 1 x internal 2.5" (dedicated)
• Front-accessible flip-down drive cage
• Removable PSU support beam
• Top vent with fine mesh for optimal PSU air intake
• Removable, washable front fan filters
• Cooling system:
• 1 rear 120 mm TrueQuiet™ fan with preinstalled silicone grommets and 2-speed switch
• 2 front 120 mm fan mounts (optional)
• Enlarged CPU cutout for easy installation of CPU coolers
• Front Ports:
• 2 x USB 3.0
• 2 x USB 2.0
• Audio In/Out
• 7 expansion slots
• Maximum graphics card size: 15,0" / 381 mm
• Motherboards: Mini-ITX, microATX, Standard ATX
• No power supply included
• Unit Dimensions:
• 440 mm (H) x 205 mm (W) x 470 mm (D)
• (17,3" (H) x 8,1" (W) x 18,5" (D))
• Package Dimensions:
• 503 (H) mm x 275 mm (W) x 550 mm (D)
• (19,8" (H) x 10,8" (W) x 21,7" (D))
• Net Weight: 9,1 kg (20,2 lbs)
• Gross Weight: 10,7 kg (23,6 lbs)

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Antec supplies the Solo II case inside a sizable, well designed cardboard box featuring a dark theme. The marketing motto of the Solo II case is “silence perfected”, obviously implying that the new Solo II is an upgraded version of the original Solo case with the flaws ironed out. Inside the box we found the case protected by two polystyrene foam slabs and wrapped in an environmentally-friendly cotton bag.



The bundle supplied with the Solo II is minimalistic. Antec supplies only a set of the necessary screws and stand-offs, a very simple black and white manual and a few small black cable ties. There are no cable straps or any other extras included.

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The Solo II features a very simple, understated design, even simpler than the design of the original Solo case. Instead of using two colors, Antec went with an all black paintjob and with a very delicate, rectangular design without any sharp curves or edges. The Solo II is notably shorter than most ATX tower cases, measuring only 50cm tall.



The dark faceplate of the Solo II is entirely plain, with even the company logo so lightly engraved at the bottom that it is not visible from a distance. Antec made the faceplate out of plastic but sprayed it with the same piano black reflective paint as the rest of the case. There are no holes or any openings; the air intake vents are being formed at the sides of the faceplate.



Antec placed the two perfectly round power buttons and the I/O ports at the bottom right side of the faceplate. The company went all-USB with their new case, installing two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports and the usual 3.5” headphone jacks.



The rear of the Antec Solo II is all black, like the rest of the case. There are no holes for watercooling hoses or any other special features, hinting us that the Solo II was not designed with hardcore overclockers and modders in mind.



A ventilation opening, about the size of a 120mm fan, is present at the top panel of the case. This opening serves as an air intake for the power supply, not as an exhaust vent.



The side panels of the Antec Solo II are entirely flat and plain, free of any engravings and holes. Antec however installed a thin 1mm layer of sound absorbing polycarbonate on the inside of both side panels, partially blocking the sound generated by the PC components from escaping to the outside of the case.

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The interior of the Antec Solo II case is much alike that of a common tower case, yet there are a few subtle but distinct differences. The entire chassis of the case is painted black, although this case does not have a windowed side panel. The area behind the CPU is entirely cut out, allowing the easy installation of large CPU coolers. Antec moved the drive cage upwards, clearing the way for very long GFX cards. The support brace of the PSU can be removed if the user wishes.



At the front bottom part of the case Antec has designed an opening for an intake 120mm cooling fan and even placed a washable dust filter but no fan is installed from the factory. Mounting holes for a small 2.5” drive can be seen at the right side of the chassis as well.



At the rear of the case a semi-transparent black 120mm cooling fan has been installed, the only standard fan of the Antec Solo II. Antec used vibration absorbing rubber grommets and installed a two speed switch, as well as an all-black cable. The speed switch is accessible from the rear of the case.



There is no tool-less mechanism or thumb screws securing the expansion cards; Antec went with the simple, trusty 3M screws. The plastic rails for mounting 5.25” devices are being stored at the bottom of the case.



This case has an interesting HDD mounting method; instead of having to install drives from either of the side panels, the drives are being installed from the front side of the case. In order to install any drives, the user has to pull the entire front panel off. Then, the drive cage can be accessed by removing one thumbscrew.



With the thumbscrew removed, the drive cage is exposed and the drive trays can be removed. Note that besides the three drive trays, the Solo II has two sets of elastic suspenders which can be used to hold drives as well. The door of the drive cage has a washable dust filter and is ready for a second 120mm intake fan.



The three drive trays can be used to install three 2.5” or 3.5” drives. Rubber grommets are being used to absorb the vibrations of the drives, with the grommets for the 3.5” drives pre-installed.



Our ICTT system fits in the Antec Solo II with relative ease. A full ATX motherboard would end right where the drives begin and routing the cables could become a problem since you cannot route more than a few cables from the back of the motherboard tray. Installing a very long graphic card should not be a problem; the way to the front of the case is all clear. It is not a very roomy case, neither designed for the quick and easy removal of all components, but it should fit a normal ATX system with relative ease and since interior aesthetics are not very important, at least not without a windowed side panel, most cables can be gathered behind the drives cage.

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In order to assess the thermal performance of the case we will be using our Integrated Casing Torture Test (ICTT) system to take readings over a period of one and a half hour. All of the case fans are operating at their maximum speed during the test and both side panels are closed. The exhaust temperature probe was placed above the rear fan of the case.



While the thermal performance of the Antec Solo II case might seem unimportant, it actually is good considering the small size of the case and the single 120mm cooling fan. Adding the sound dampening insulation which also blocks the side panels from expelling as much heat as plain metallic panels would, the Solo II performed remarkably well and should be able to cope with even powerful gaming systems installed without adding any extra fans.

The Antec Solo II also set the acoustics record of the most quiet case we have ever tested. The single cooling fan cannot generate any notable noise and the sound dampening insulation reduces it even further, resulting to our sound level meter registering only 25.8dB(A), meaning that the Solo II by itself and with the stock fan running at maximum speed is practically inaudible.

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Quality (30% of the total score)

Although the Solo II is a very simple looking case, the chassis design is sophisticated and the materials used of very high quality. It may look like any other tower case, even somewhat frail considering that the top half of the motherboard’s tray is cut out and that the PSU support bar can be removed, yet the structure of the Solo II is astonishingly sturdy. There are no manufacturing imperfections (such as sharp edges) to even speak of. The Solo II certainly lives up to the high quality standards Antec has us used to.

Quality Score 10/10




Performance (30% of the total score)

The Antec Solo II is not a product designed for maximum thermal performance, therefore it would be unfair to compare our results to those we received while testing a huge gaming case. The Solo II is a relatively small tower case with a single 120mm exhaust fan and its thermal performance is impeded even further by the use of sound dampening materials. Even so, the Solo II gave us very good thermal performance results, comparable to those we receive from budget and mainstream gaming cases. The icing on the cake is the exceptional acoustics performance, the best we have ever encountered to this date.

Performance Score 8.0/10




Aesthetics (30% of the total score)

Aesthetics are a subjective topic and discussing the design of the Solo II case is no exception. The Solo II is extremely simple and can boast only about its remarkable piano black paint job; most hardcore modders and people who like fancy, complex designs with lots of lighting would describe it as a strange looking monolith. On the other hand, users who like minimalistic and elegant designs will love the classy appearance of the Solo II, the design of which matches the theme of a clean high-tech environment, living room or office.

Aesthetics Score 8.5/10




Value (10% of the total score)

Unfortunately the worst enemy of the Solo II is the product itself. The MSRP of this case is 129.95$, considerably more than its predecessor and a price tag which places the Solo II in the same league as some very tough competition. It does offer a good set of features and the best acoustics performance we have ever encountered but on the other hand it is a relatively small tower case with mediocre thermal expansion options. With the high price tag and simplistic appearance, we believe that the Solo II will mostly appear to middle class specialty users, limiting the market of the product significantly.

Value Score 7.0/10